County can't donate toward rebuilding homeless shelter

Wednesday

Sep 4, 2013 at 11:00 PMSep 4, 2013 at 11:41 PM

County Commissioner Bobby Miller wants the Tuscaloosa County government to give the Salvation Army $500,000 toward rebuilding its homeless shelter, which was destroyed by the April 27, 2011, tornado. But, the county cannot give money to the nonprofit organization because the Salvation Army is considered a church, county attorney Robert Spence said Wednesday.

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News

County Commissioner Bobby Miller wants the Tuscaloosa County government to give the Salvation Army $500,000 toward rebuilding its homeless shelter, which was destroyed by the April 27, 2011, tornado.But, the county cannot give money to the nonprofit organization because the Salvation Army is considered a church, county attorney Robert Spence said Wednesday.Spence told the County Commission the government can contract with organizations like the Salvation Army for services but that it cannot give the Salvation Army funding, even for a homeless shelter to serve the public.“It ties our hands,” Miller said.A new homeless shelter will cost the Salvation Army about $4.9 million, but the organization is $1.5 million short. It has received some money from insurance, but the former shelter was under-insured. The national Salvation Army has committed an additional $1 million, and the city of Tuscaloosa has committed $500,000 in tornado relief grant money. But the organization is still short.“We've been without a shelter for two years,” said Ken Swindle, a former Tuscaloosa police chief who serves on the Salvation Army board.The former shelter on Greensboro Avenue had 70 beds and served an average of about 45 people a night, except during the summer and winter, when it was often full.Tuscaloosa has not had any short-term living quarters for the homeless since the tornado.Plans call for the new shelter to be built at the old location and to have 88 beds, including separate areas for men and women and a wing for homeless families.A preliminary study on area demand shows that may not be enough, Swindle said. According to data from the Tuscaloosa City school system, about 400 families in Tuscaloosa do not have permanent housing.“As you can see, the need for the shelter is tremendous,” Swindle told the commission in August.Miller said he'd like the county to examine other ways to help the Salvation Army with its building.“I'm disappointed because the Salvation Army does such a tremendous job of helping those in need,” Miller said. “Whatever it takes to help the Salvation Army, the county needs to do it.”